2012 Purbeck One Day Tour

Charles Coleman (Cadence Cannondale) proved to be the most successful rider after two stages, finishing joint first in the Time Trial and then finishing third in the Road Race.

Poole Wheelers promoted a two stage one day race in the beautiful Jurassic Coast in the heart of West Dorset centred on the town of Wareham. The morning started with a steady 2.4 mile Time Trial from Wareham out towards the Military training grounds of Lulworth. The course was damp in places in the middle of the test but the last part was bathed in sunshine.

Apart from the first rider on the road Les Pick (Poole Wheelers) who punctured everyone else seemed to get through un-scathered. The test was won by Andrew Perkins (Mid Devon CC).

After a break the riders rolled away from Wareham on a 54 mile road race between Wool and Lulworth completing four and half lap’s of a ten mile circuit. The race gets underway in sunshine and soon the riders arrive at the bottom of Newtown Hill which overlooks Wool which can be best described as a drag of a climb.

After the first lap Michael Leech Team Tor 2000 had a handful of seconds over the mass ranks of the bunch, most of which had survived the first climb of the race. Different riders take turns at coming to the front and next to show is Matthew Franklin (Bristol RC). It’s not until the third lap that a decent lead is established when Jamie Scott opens out a twenty second gap , which over the next lap he extends to fifty second gap. With no one to work with Jamie he succumbs to the chasing pack and is soon swept up, allowing Joseph Crolla (AW Cycles) first across the line at the bell. Close on Joseph’s tail was Phillip Peters (Cannondale Racing) just ahead of the bunch.

Once over the climb and on the back of the course in Lulworth, first Jack Edwards (PM Racing) and then Sam Humphrey (VC St Raphael) pull out a small lead over the bunch. It was these two riders followed by Charles Coleman who emerged at the bottom of the climb first. These three eased out away for the rest of the bunch to finish in that order.